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Functions as processes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 March 2009

Robin Milner
Robin Milner
Affiliation:
University of Edinburgh
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Abstract

This paper exhibits accurate encodings of the λ-calculus in the π-calculus. The former is canonical for calculation with functions, while the latter is a recent step (Milner et al. 1989) towards a canonical treatment of concurrent processes. With quite simple encodings, two λ-calculus reduction strategies are simulated very closely; each reduction in λ-calculus is mimicked by a short sequence of reductions in π-calculus. Abramsky's precongruence of applicative bisimulation (Abramsky 1989) over λ-calculus is compared with that induced by the encoding of the lazy λ-calculus into π-calculus; a similar comparison is made for call-by-value λ-calculus.

Type
Research Article
Information
Mathematical Structures in Computer Science , Volume 2 , Issue 2 , June 1992 , pp. 119 - 141
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1992

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